terça-feira, outubro 28, 2008

PARLAMENTO NACIONALCommittee for Constitutional Issues, Justice, Public Administration, Local Power and Government Legislation28 October 2008

PRESS RELEASE

THE NATIONAL PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMISSION FOR RECEPTION, TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION (CAVR “CHEGA!” REPORT) AND THE BILATERAL COMMISSION FOR TRUTH AND FREINDSHIP (CTF)

On Thursday, 30 October 2008, the National Parliament will hold an extraordinary plenary session to debate the CAVR and CTF reports.

The reports investigate Timor-Leste’s 1975 – 1999 political conflict, determine responsibility for past human rights violations and provide recommendations on how to build a peaceful, stable future for Timor-Leste, paying particular attention to its relationship with Indonesia.

The Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Issues, Justice, Public Administration, Local Power and Government Legislation (Committee A) will present two resolutions to the National Parliament that recognize the achievements of both Commissions, acknowledge their findings, and propose implementation of their recommendations.

The proposed resolutions highlight CAVR and CTF recommendations in the areas of: victim reparations, a commission for disappeared persons, justice, education and the establishment of an independent institution to oversee implementation efforts.

The debate of the CAVR and CTF reports is an important occasion for the state of Timor-Leste. The National Parliament invites representatives from state institutions and civil society organizations, including the Catholic Church, Media, Political Parties, NGO’s and educational institutions, to observe the debate at the National Parliament on 30 October, 9 am.

(TS): A few days ago local newspapers published your words, which caused some people to say that you are interfering too much in politics by getting too close to AMP and to ignore Fretilin. How do you comment to that?

(TMR): I want to make it clear once more than as the chief of the army, I represent an institution which dedicates its whole existence to maximum neutrality and total impartiality. I also want to say that the interpretation made against my words were literal. In other words, I wanted to say that the peace march which people have been talking about has not been put into practice, why are so afraid of it?

I want to also say that our Constitution guarantees the right to everyone to organise demonstrations. But what our Constitution does not allow is violence. If we look at the past, Fretilin's actions have been very good. We can see this in the 2006 crisis. Fretilin mobilised its supporters from the districts to come to Dili but their behaviour at that time was very good despite many provocations.

I congratulate them for this action. Fretilin has also proved a lot through its actions which show that they are against violence themselves. Therefore I believe that even when they do organise the peace march there will be no violence.

Now, as a national institution which is following the developments in the country, naturally we are also worried. We are worried not because Fretilin will use violence when they have (the peace march), but because other people can use this action to cause violence to destabilise the situation in our country, a situation which we all know is still very fragile.

But this does not mean that we will block (the demonstration). To the contrary, our Constitution has shown the way. Simply, what every Timorese want is that there can be no violence just as stated in our Constitution.

EAST TIMOR'S Opposition Leader has denied a rally of up to 70,000 anti-government protesters would breach the fragile peace in the South-East Asian nation.

Speaking ahead of his visit to Canberra this week, Mari Alkatiri said he did not believe a demonstration by Fretilin supporters would lead to riots of the kind seen in 2006, in which at least 37 people died.

Fretilin has not named a date for its proposed march.

''The march itself will never destabilise the country,'' he said. ''It is a way for the people to feel free that finally there are free demonstrations without violence ... It is our constitutional right.''

Dr Alkatiri said the purpose of the march was to protest against Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao's ''unconstitutional'' and ''corrupt'' government.

''I think the Government needs to know that people are aware of the corruption. It is time for the people to say something, but peacefully,'' he said.

The Fretilin opposition party maintains it was cheated in last year's parliamentary election, which was overseen by the United Nations.

''We won the election in 2007 and we did not have the opportunity to govern,'' Dr Alkatiri said, adding that the international election scrutineers ''knew Fretilin won the election''.

He is calling for another election to take place next year rather than waiting until 2012 to challenge the Government.

The second secretary of the Embassy of Timor-Leste, Lisualdo Gaspar, said any allegations of government corruption needed to be substantiated by investigations and evidence.

Dr Alkatiri also denied his party was behind pamphlets circulating the capital that allege discrimination is rife within government institutions.

''I think that it is groups that are close to the Government doing this. Xanana is really trying to divide the people,'' he said.

Last week, Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon announced Australia would withdraw 100 troops from East Timor early next year, reducing the number of Australian personnel to 650.

Dr Alkatiri said he would like to see all Australian troops removed by the end of 2009.

Dr Alkatiri will give a public lecture tomorrow at the ANU's Finkel Theatre in the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Garran Road, from 12.30pm-1.30pm.